Users of computing devices today use a variety of applications, such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, and a variety of different operating systems, such as Windows 7 and Windows 8. Users also use a variety of different types of computing devices, such as personal computers, laptops, tablets, personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal organizers, mobile phones, smart-phones, and other devices.
This use of a variety of different applications, operating systems, and/or devices can create problems for administrators of networks, such as information technology (IT) departments. For example, different user groups, project teams, or individuals in such a managed network may have different types of computing devices using different types of operating systems. An administrator may need to determine the compatibility of an application with each type of device before installing the application on the devices. In an organization or network of individuals, this process must be repeated for each application and each device type in the organization/network. As users demand new and improved features, the frequency with which requests for new applications are received increases. Users also continue to use an increasingly varied number of operating systems and devices. Therefore, the process of determining whether applications are compatible with devices used by users of a network is becoming increasingly complicated.
Notwithstanding the above, it is critical that administrators be able to determine the compatibility of applications with the various devices used by users of a network. Unfortunately, each application can be associated with many different algorithms. Thus, verifying applications and their associated algorithms for any given device can be very complex and time consuming. Traditionally, such a determination of compatibility is made manually, costing the organization a significant number of man hours (or months or years) and cost. Furthermore, traditional methods are prone to errors resulting in poorly-functioning or nonfunctioning software and/or hardware.
While a number of current techniques can be used to detect compatibility of an application across different computing environments, the current techniques often involve manually testing applications using diagnostic tools such as process monitoring and debuggers to discover any defects. Such a process is time-consuming and requires specialized knowledge of the person in charge of the testing.
Accordingly, and in view of the foregoing, there is a need for systems and methods that are capable of testing platforms and applications to determine whether a particular application is compatible with a device used by a user of a network. There is also a need for determining the compatibility of multiple applications with a variety of different devices quickly, efficiently, and accurately. There is further a need for computerized solutions that overcome the drawbacks and limitations of conventional systems and methods for determining the compatibility of an application, to improve the functionality of software applications and the hardware on which they run, to reduce the rate of bugs and errors in computer systems and networks.